


It's Amateur Night at the Apollo

by MortalAmaranthine



Category: Bandom, Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy
Genre: Business AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-07-18 01:16:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7293550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MortalAmaranthine/pseuds/MortalAmaranthine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill raised an eyebrow as the waiter took their menus and retreated to the kitchen. “So, do you bring young, impressionable homeless men here often?” and Gabe laughed again.<br/>“No, I usually come here for business meetings. I always close a deal when I bring a potential client here.” He took a sip of his water.<br/>Bill leaned back in his chair. “Is that what this is? A business meeting?” He asked, and Gabe’s brow furrowed.<br/>“What do you mean?” Gabe asked, and Bill sighed.<br/>“I mean, usually when a rich business man takes interest in a young person in need of financial assistance, he’s called a sugar daddy,”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> “Here’s a new idea, I got news for you/ There’s no free rides tonight/ If you’re strapped for cash, I got a job for you/ My boots need shining, son/ Sit down, shut up, oh where do we begin?/ The streets are full of anything you want/ The city lights inviting you right in/ Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid”

After having secured this job for himself over 5 months ago, Gabe would have thought his morning commute would be pretty much monotonous by now.

However, upon rounding the corner of the small restaurant on the corner of 5th and Washington to stand among the group of people waiting for the city bus to take them downtown, he spotted the stand immediately. It was a little ways down the block, and it wasn’t much: a comfortable-looking chair, a footstool, and a small side table hosting, among other things, a small tin of shoe polish, several rags, and a small jar with a few crumpled dollar bills and bits of change. Gabe knew what it was at once, though he thought they only existed in old movies- it was a shoe-shining stand. Gabe would have been more surprised, if his eyes hadn’t landed on the boy running the stall.

He had wavy brown hair that curled at his shoulders, and legs that went on for miles. The jeans slung low on his hips gave Gabe a nice view of his ass when he turned, and he could definitely imagine those legs, sans jeans, wrapped around his waist in bed. Gabe glanced at his watch- he was early, and it couldn’t hurt to say hello. He approached the stand, and as he neared the owner flashed him a smile. “Hello, sir, can I interest you in a quality shoe shine?” The boy asked, and though his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, Gabe could tell he was quite a few years younger than him.

“Yes, I think you can.” Gabe answered in a low voice, and he didn’t miss the quick once-over the boy gave him. The flash of heat Gabe felt under his skin was familiar, but no less thrilling that it always was. Flirting was by far one of Gabe’s favorite activities.

Gabe propped his briefcase up against the small table (it made him look like a douche, but he had to carry one, company rules), and sat down in the plush chair provided. At the boy’s gesturing, he rested on foot on the small stool.

‘My shoes are a little scuffed up.’ Gabe mused to himself as the man went to work polishing his shoes. After a few more moments, he couldn’t hold the question in any longer. “So, what’s your name?” Gabe asked as casually as he could. The smile he spotted on the boy’s face as he diligently shined Gabe’s shoe told him he had revealed just a little too much interest.

“William..” The boy answered, and Gabe’s mind instantly jumped to ‘Guillermo’. Yeah, he could see himself moaning that name in bed. He already knew William was getting one hell of a tip. “And yours?” William asked.

Gabe wasn’t expecting the question, and tried to turn his attention to anything other than how good William looked on his knees in front of him. “Gabriel. But you can call me Gabe.” This time, the smile William flashed him held a smolder of heat, and Gabe bit his lip. “Well in that case, you can call me Bill.” As Bill switched shoes, Gabe thought, ‘Whatever amount of cash I have in my wallet is going straight into his tip jar.’

Bill spoke again, and Gabe made himself listen to the words rather than watch the way his lips moved over them. “You look like a pretty important guy.” And the mirth was back in his voice. “Where do you work?”.

“Decaydance Publishing. I’m the assistant manager of the Public Relations department.” Gabe answered and he saw Bill pause for a split second, then resume working. He was impressed, but he wasn’t going to show it.

Hands moving rapidly now, Bill nodded. “Very impressive. Dealing with the general public can be a bitch.” He tensed suddenly, not knowing how Gabe would react to the cuss word- some people really didn’t like them. Gabe, however, just chuckled and huffed an exaggerated sound of heartbreak.

“It really gets to me when I can’t please everyone.” Gabe replied, inspecting his nails. Acting pompous was a habit he had fallen into when dealing with idiots on the job- the public was impossible to please, so he might as well deal with them in a way that kept him from going insane.

Bill looked up at him through his lashes. “Oh, so you’re a people pleaser.” He murmured, and Gabe’s heart started beating faster. Bill was tucking the rag into his back pocket; Gabe’s shoe shine was done.

“Definitely.” Gabe said absently, more focused on Bill’s legs as the boy climbed to his feet. When Gabe stood, he found himself face to face with Bill. Of all the people Gabe had dated casually, he wouldn’t have pinned ‘tall, pale, and skinny’ as his taste in guys, but something about this kid had caught his interest. It could be the way Bill hadn’t stepped back, so there was only about a foot of space between them. Gabe had never really been one for personal space, anyway.

Bill was grinning like he knew a secret Gabe didn’t. “Thank you for choosing Bill Beckett Shoe Shine, please come again.” He recited, and Gabe snorted. It sounded overly-rehearsed and completely ridiculous.

“Oh, I will.” Gabe promised. He turned towards the small table and pulled out his wallet. Quickly, so Bill wouldn’t see, Gabe scribbled his cell phone number onto the back of one of his Decaydance business cards, and stuffed it into the tip jar, along with a $100 dollar bill.

His bus was pulling up, Gabe had to get to work. He grabbed his briefcase and hurried back up the block. Gabe turned once and waved. Bill smiled and wiggled his fingers back. Gabe very nearly tripped as he stepped onto the bus.

Gabe quickly found himself a seat, and placed his briefcase in his lap. He looked down at his shoes and saw, much to his surprise, his own face damn near perfectly reflected back at him. He was pretty sure his shoes hadn’t looked this good even when he first bought them.

If Bill didn’t call him, Gabe was gonna have to track him down and just flat-out kidnap him. There was no way he was letting a kid like Bill Beckett slip through his fingers.


	2. Chapter 2

‘Holy shit, that guy was smoking hot.’ Bill thought as he watched Gabe board his bus. Seriously, he didn’t think his day could have already gotten this amazing at 9 in the morning. Then Bill realized that he hadn’t gotten Gabe’s number, and his good mood came to a screeching halt. “Well, he did say he’d be back.” Bill thought, though that didn’t raise his spirits much.

Turning back towards his stand, something white in Bill’s tip jar caught his eye. Curious, he picked up the small jar and snagged it. It was a business card, and along with it Bill had picked out a $100 dollar bill. His mouth dropped open. Could Gabe really have left him that much? It usually took him 3 or 4 days to get that much money! Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he quickly pocketed the large bill and glanced at the business card.

On the front, it looked pretty standard. “Gabriel E. Saporta, Assistant Manager of Public Relations at Decaydance Printing and Publishing.” Under the Decaydance logo (a capital D with towers depicted like a city skyline) was his office number and email. However, when Bill flipped it over, his heart soared when he saw the quickly-scribbled digits that were undoubtedly Gabe’s cell phone number.

Bill settled back to watch people walk by and occasionally offer shoe shines- at this point, he was content to be refused for the rest of the day. He had money to actually pay his bills and the phone number of a drop-dead gorgeous businessman…things were looking up.

\--  
At Decaydance, Gabe drifted past the rows of cubicles and into his office. When the door shut behind him with a soft click, he set down his briefcase and melted against the door.

By far, Gabe didn’t have the best view in the building, but it was decent. He was about halfway up on the 10th floor, and from his window he could see down the street and the rest of the Chicago skyline. He heard the view was way better up on the 22nd floor, but at the moment the only view Gabe cared about was the image stuck in his head of Bill’s mile-long legs and sly smile.  
It wasn’t going to be a very productive day.

Around 11 o’clock, Gabe had only answered a few emails and usually didn’t realize the phone was ringing until it nearly went to voicemail. His gaze kept drifting back to the window, wondering what Bill was doing, if he had noticed the $100 Gabe had slipped into his tip jar. He lolled his head back and let his chair spin idly in circles. He tapped his pen, he bit his lip, he wondered when Bill went home, would be still be on Gabe’s block when he got off the bus to go home?

He didn’t realize someone had been knocking until the door opened outright. Gabe quickly spun back around to face front, and saw Pete smiling at him mischievously.

“What do you want, Wentz?” Gabe huffed, an easy grin spreading over his face. As his boss, Pete Wentz was a decent guy, lenient about deadlines and missed busses. However, as his friend, Pete was deplorable. Sure, he had a pretty good sense of humor and no shame whatsoever, but he could be a bit of a flake at times. Gabe had legitimately had Pete turn down a party invite last minute because he “had this crazy dream about Patrick breaking his wrist, so I have to keep him home today, can’t risk it!”. He was a bit neurotic.

Pete stepped in and closed the door behind him. “I’m hiding from my assistant, he keeps insisting I do “work” or something.” He answered, hooking air quotes around ‘work’.

Gabe laughed and gestured to the comfy chairs in front of his desk. Pete sauntered forward and gracelessly collapsed into one. “If you ever get tired of that personal assistant of yours, I could always use one.” Gabe said, leaning forward to rest on his forearms.

In response, Pete propped his feet up on Gabe’s desk, nearly knocking Gabe’s nameplate to the floor. “Get your own, Saporta.” Pete answered back. Gabe rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Patrick burst in. “Pete!” He cried in exasperation. “I just need you to sign this one document, and then I’ll leave you alone!” He brandished the stack of papers in Pete’s direction.  
Pete sighed. “Get Gabe to sign them.” He muttered. “I’m sick of paperwork.” Though he feigned being annoyed, Gabe knew how hard he was working to hide his smile. He pouted up at Patrick, “You work me too hard, ‘Trick! I have no time to come sexually harass Gabe!”

Gabe nodded solemnly at Patrick. “Just as you walked in, he was propositioning me. I’m probably gonna have to file a complaint with Human Resources.”

Patrick sank into the chair beside Pete’s and dropped the stack of paper into his lap. “Ha-fucking-ha,” He murmured sarcastically. “And Pete, Gabe can’t sign these papers, only the head of the department can. So sign your goddamn name so we can move on.” 

A quick glance at the stack of paper in Pete’s lap told Gabe it had something to do with a scifi novel they were set to publish. That might have been mentioned in one of the emails Gabe skimmed this morning.  
With another overly-dramatic sigh, Pete reached into the mug on Gabe’s desk that housed all his pens and pencils and pulled one at random. “As you wish, Mr. Stumph.” Pete said, and placed the papers on Gabe’s desk to sign them, with a flourish, “Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III”. Gabe burst out laughing.

Patrick snatched the papers back. “As long as they’re signed.” He huffed, and stormed out. The door to Gabe’s office snapped shut behind him.

Pete glanced at Gabe and smiled goofily. “God, I love him.” Pete sighed dreamily. Gabe snorted. Pete and Patrick’s antics were a daily occurrence, and for the most part, unavoidable. Pete had been perusing Patrick for as long as Gabe could remember working at Decaydance. Eventually, for reasons unknown to Gabe and the rest of the universe, the two actually managed to make a fantastic couple, business wise and otherwise. Pete was just the right amount of strange and Patrick was just the right amount of normal. They balanced each other perfectly.

“Did you get the email I sent, by the way?” Pete asked casually, twirling Gabe’s pen through his fingers. “The higher ups are discussing this fantasy book, supposedly the next Harry Potter.” He stretched his legs out in front of his chair so that he looked like a bored teenager in class. “I’ve read the manuscript, I suppose it’s alright.”

Gabe rolled his eyes and reached his hand out. Pete, after a moment, grinned and dropped the pen into Gabe’s open hand. “Yes, I got that email.” Gabe answered as he tucked the pen back into its holder with the others. “We’re not supposed to get the manuscript until next week.”

Pete winked and stood. “I have my ways, Gabey-Baby. By the way, Me, Patrick, and a few others are going out tonight. Wanna tag along?” He offered.

It was tempting, very tempting. If there was one thing Gabe had enjoyed since before the legal drinking age, it was getting drunk and partying hard. There was something timeless about tequila and lap dances. Sure, he was 26, but he could still party with the rest. Pete could definitely attest for that.

Still…the possibility of seeing Bill again at the end of the day, and possibly convincing him to come home with Gabe, sent off that flash of heat under his skin again. What was more likely to get him laid? If he went clubbing, he would probably have to drop quite a bit of cash to get in and for drinks, and he had already spent $100 today. Why spend more money when he probably had long legs and a pretty mouth waiting for him after work..

“No, not tonight.” Gabe said with a nonchalant shrug. 

\--

By the end of the work day, Bill had made a few more bucks and was comfortable wrapping up to go home. He pulled his pick-up around from where he parked it in an alley, and loaded up the chair, footstool, and side table. After everything was loaded up, he headed back around the side of the truck with the tip jar in his hand. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his arm and push him back, making him hit his head on the side of his truck. The tip jar was ripped from his hands, and by the time Bill had opened his eyes and processed what just happened, the mugger was at the end of the block and turning the corner, Bill’s money for the day gone.

Shocked, Bill stared after the mugger in disbelief. His hands were shaking, and his head where it hit the truck was throbbing. He reached up to touch it, and there was a sharp bite of pain as he pressed against the spot.

“Shit.” Bill murmured, the entire situation only now hitting him. “Shit, shit, shit.” Hands still shaking, he did the only thing he could think of- he pulled out his phone and the business card from this morning, and called Gabe.


	3. Chapter 3

Gabe was just settling onto the couch with a beer when his phone rang. It was an unknown number, and his heart soared. Maybe it was Bill! He took a breath and accepted the call. “Hello?” He said in a smooth, low voice. 

He didn’t get the response he had expected. “G-Gabe?” Asked the shaking voice on the other end. Gabe sat up, concerned. “I-I’m sorry to b-bother you, but I th-th-think I was just mugged, and I didn’t know what to d-do.” Bill said. 

“Are you hurt?” Gabe asked, his heart beating quickly. He stood and slipped his shoes back on, ready to head back out the door.

He was already by the elevators to head down to the parking garage when Bill answered. “N-no, just shaken up. I’m really s-sorry, but could you come g-get me?” He asked.

The elevator dinged. “I’m on my way.” Gabe promised.  
\--  
Bill had known Gabe was well-off, what with the suit and tie and business cards with his name printed on them, but he was still a bit surprised when a Porsche pulled up in front of him. The passenger side window rolled down, and Bill heard, “Get in.”

He pulled the door open and slid in, looking over at Gabe with wide eyes. “I’m really sorry, I was just scared someone might follow me home, and I didn’t want-” Bill started babbling, but Gabe cut him off.

“It’s alright. You were right to call me.” Gabe said. “You can crash on my couch tonight, and file a police report in the morning.” Bill didn’t say anything, just nodded.

Gabe didn’t want Bill to dwell on the mugging, so he tried to get him to talk. “Not exactly how I expected to be spending my first night with you.” Gabe said, and Bill laughed, his smile genuine. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” Bill said sarcastically. “How ever will I make it up to you?” 

Gabe smirked. “I can think of a few ways.” He answered. 

Bill just rolled his eyes. “My knight in shining armor. So willing to rescue me as long as he gets something out of it.” 

Feigning hurt, Gabe pouted. “I can’t believe you would insinuate that I have ulterior motives. I wish only to help others in their time of need.” 

Bill batted his eyelashes. “Saint Gabriel. I’m so lucky you picked me as your object of affection.” 

“How could I not?” Gabe muttered as they pulled into the parking garage, still smiling. “We’re here. Help me cover the car back up, yeah? Don’t want it getting dirty while it’s parked down here.” 

As the two exited the car and pulled the tarp back over it, Bill asked, “Why the hell do you take the bus if you have this sweet-ass Porsche?” 

Gabe laughed. “There’s never any decent parking where I work.” and Bill laughed as well.

They headed over to the elevators, and Gabe was glad he’d been able to make Bill feel better. 

In Gabe’s apartment, he made Bill take his shoes off at the door and went to rummage in his bathroom. “I’ve got an extra toothbrush if you need it.” He called out to Bill, who was still in the living room. “No extra bedroom though. If you want to take the bed, I can sleep on the couch.”

Bill balked. “No way am I taking your bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.” He said.

Gabe shook his head. “Dude, you just got mugged. Take the bed.” He insisted.

“Nope, not gonna do it.” Bill sat down heavily on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “You can’t make me.” He stuck his tongue out at Gabe, who just rolled his eyes.

Reluctantly, Gabe gave in. “Alright, just don’t come crying to me when your back is killing you in the morning.” 

Bill grinned. “No worries. I’m pretty flexible.” He said lightly.

It took all of Gabe’s willpower to not invite Bill to bed with him. He did just get mugged, after all. He wouldn’t want to take advantage of Bill after such a shitty day.

At least, that’s what he told himself as he retired to bed, alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa I'm still here! Sorry it's been like two months since the last chapter! Here's my list of excuses: 1) my laptop had to be sent away for repairs for like a month 2) I was working 60 hour weeks 3) college started back up. But hey here's an extra long chapter to (hopefully) make up for it! I'm gonna do my best to get back on my weekly update schedule, but thank you so much to everyone who stuck with me! <3

When Gabe woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to remember he had a hot stranger sleeping on his couch. He knew it was stupid, but he suddenly felt self-conscious of his bedhead and morning breath. He rolled out of bed and combed his fingers through his hair to flatten it a bit before heading into the master bathroom. He quickly combed his hair and brushed his teeth before he headed into the kitchen for coffee. He could brush his teeth again after breakfast, before leaving for work.

In the kitchen, he found Bill in his boxers, leaning against the counter, cup of steaming coffee in hand. He had bags under his eyes, but when he looked up at Gabe, he smiled. “I made you a cup, too. I left it black, ‘cause I don’t know how you take it.” Bill said, his voice rough from sleep. He looked worn out, but not down. Gabe gave him a quick, “Thanks,” before rooting through the fridge for his coffee creamer. He had never liked his coffee black.

The two stood in amicable silence for a few minutes, blowing the steam off their coffee and drinking. After a while, though, Gabe knew he needed to eat and get dressed if he didn’t want to be late. “I have milk and cereal, if that’s okay.” Gabe offered, and Bill glanced up at him with wide eyes.

“Oh, ah, sure. Thank you.” Bill said, and Gabe could hear the clear sincerity in his voice. He wondered what kind of life Bill must have had if his only source of income is shoe shining. He was suddenly struck with a terrible thought.

“Did those muggers take the money I gave you?” Gabe asked, and Bill looked confused for a moment before his eyes lit up with realization.

He shook his head quickly. “Oh, no. They only took the jar, I had the $100 in my pocket with your business card.” He smiled widely as Gabe remembered leaving Bill his number. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Gabe turned away to hide the flush in his cheeks, and went to the pantry for a box of cereal. “Yeah, well, you looked hot.” Gabe said, not bothering to lie. When he turned back, he noticed Bill’s eyes flash back up, as though they had been lowered to stare. Gabe smiled.

Bill’s smile was cheeky. “I had every intention of calling you, believe me.” He said, but suddenly, his smile faded. “I… just didn’t think it would happen this way.” He said softly.

The loss of Bill’s smile sent a pang through Gabe’s chest. “Hey, I got to see you in your underwear much sooner than I expected. I thought I’d have to at least buy you dinner first.” He said, and Bill laughed.

Gabe got them both clean bowls and spoons and they sat down across from each other at the table to eat.

“You should probably go file a police report.” Gabe said. Bill sat back in his chair, quiet. When Gabe glanced up at him, he looked conflicted. “What’s wrong?” Gabe asked.

Bill sighed. “The shoe shining business I was running… I didn’t have a permit or anything. Technically, it was illegal. I don’t think the police would take that very well.”

Gabe furrowed his brow. “But- it shouldn’t matter what you were doing! You got mugged! Someone stole your hard-earned money!”

Despite Gabe’s insistence, Bill shook his head. “I can’t.” He refused. “My truck is still in the alley where I left it, I’ll move it to a safer spot when I go back.”

“Wait, wait, where are you staying?” Gabe asked. Bill didn’t say anything. “Bill!”

Finally, Bill spoke. “A motel downtown, when I can afford it. My truck, when I can't.”

Gabe looked at him, confused. “But- why? You’re, what, 21?”

“20.” Bill muttered. “When I was 17, I got kicked out of the house. I stayed with a few friends, crashed on their couches, but I couldn’t hold down a job. Eventually, just about everyone got sick of me. I’ve stayed on the street for a while, but I’ve finally got a decent set up at the motel. I just have to find a way to make money if I want to stay there. My next payment is due in three days”

Gabe pushed his chair back as he stood, planting his hands on the table. “No.” He said simply. “Absolutely not, I won’t allow it.”

Bill looked up at him, confused. “No, what?” He asked.

As Gabe took Bill’s empty bowl and spoon back to the kitchen, he explained. “You’re not staying in that motel anymore. You can’t.”

Bill followed him, bewildered. “Then where am I supposed to stay?” he asked, waving his hands.

“Here.” Gabe said simply. “I can get a second bed, convert the study. I hardly ever use it anyway, I just take my laptop to and from work. You’ll stay here until you can find a real job, and then you can start paying me rent if you want. No, you know what, no rent. Just pitch in for groceries.”

For a moment Bill just stared at him, utterly confounded. “Do I get a say in this?” He asked.

“Of course!” Gabe said. “Do you want a double bed or a queen?”

Bill sighed. “Gabe, I can’t stay here. I can’t be a burden on you. I barely know you! You barely know me! Why are you even offering this? I’m just some broke kid who shined your shoes! You have no reason to do this!”

Gabe shrugged. “Not true. I could use the companionship. I think we can work out a deal that works for both of us. I mean, I really can’t send you off knowing you’re going back to a shitty motel and shining shoes hoping for a few dollars. It isn’t right.”

Bill laughed lightly, shaking his head. “This is nuts. I’m just some kid who shined your shoes.” He said again.

“You’re the very attractive young gentleman who brightened my day, and deserves better than a shitty motel and getting mugged.” Gabe corrected him. “What do you say? Will you stay?”

After staring at him for a few beats, Bill laughed. “Of course I’ll stay. I’m not going back to a motel when there’s a hot businessman offering me a place like this.”

Gabe smiled widely, and Bill stared at him, breathless. At that moment, Bill wanted nothing more than to push Gabe back against the counter and kiss him. Gabe noticed Bill staring, and his smile fell slightly. Bill took a step forward, invading Gabe’s personal bubble, and Gabe wasn’t smiling anymore. There were only inches between their lips, all it would take was Bill tilting his his face up, and…

The alarm on Gabe’s watch started beeping, startling him into taking a step back. He glanced at the time, and cursed. “Shit, that’s my 5 minute alarm. If I’m not out the door in 5, I’ll be late.” He looks back at Bill. “Uh, I-”

Bill smiled and rolled his eyes. “Go get dressed. I’ll be here when you get back from work.” He promised. Gabe smiled again, and Bill couldn’t help but smile as well.

Gabe left the kitchen reluctantly, retreating into his bedroom to throw on a button down shirt, suit jacket, and a pair of slacks. Shirt unbuttoned and hair a bit askew, he went into the living room with a tie in each hand. “Bill? What do you think? Striped tie or pattern tie?”

Bill glanced up, and grinned at Gabe’s undone appearance. “Hmm.” Bill mused, stepping closer and reaching out to button up Gabe’s shirt. “The striped tie is cute, but the patterned one brings out your eyes.” He said. When he reached the top button, Gabe was hardly breathing.

“Patterned tie it is then.” Gabe says softly.

“Good.” Bill said, smiling slightly. He took the tie from Gabe’s hand and draped it around his neck, tying it with quick hands. “Oh, and Gabe?”

“Hmm?” Gabe hummed, staring at Bill’s lips.

Bill leaned forward so their lips were almost touching. “You’re going to be late.”

Gabe blinked, and looked at his watch again. “Fuck!” He went to the door, picked up his briefcase, and slipped his shoes on. “I’ll be back around 6. See you!” The door opened and shut, cutting off Bill’s bright laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said new chapters would be out like every Friday? I lied. It's been like 7 months. College is hard.

“Nice tie.” Pete said, tossing a stack of paperwork onto Gabe’s desk. Gabe jumped, dropping the pen he had been twirling as he stared out at the city below. 

Gabe shook his head, and bent down to pick up the pen. “I didn’t even hear you come in.” He admitted. Pete grinned, settling into one of Gabe’s chairs.

“You missed quite a party last night. I got Patrick drunk! He’s so cute when he’s drunk, his cheeks get all pink and he mixes up his words. Luckily, being drunk doesn’t inhibit his ability to give good head.” Pete mused. Gabe laughed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell him I said that, he’ll cut me off from sex for a week.” 

“I won’t.” Gabe promised. “I’m about to go to lunch, you wanna come?” 

Pete shook his head. “I’m taking a half-day. I’ve got dinner with Patrick’s parents tonight.” He grinned. “Luckily for me, Patrick’s mom is the best mother-in-law ever.”

“You’re not married.” Gabe reminded him. At that moment, Patrick stuck his head into Gabe’s office, and gave Pete a sour look. “Pete, you’ve got a meeting in 10 minutes! If we’re late, the meeting will run late, and we won’t get to my parents' in time.” 

Pete stood and straightened his collar. “Might as well be.” He told Gabe with a cheeky grin. He gave Patrick a kiss on the cheek, which only made Patrick roll his eyes. “Have a good lunch!” 

When Gabe was alone in his office again, he laughed and shook his head. After logging out of his computer, he left and walked past a few cubicles before going into another office. 

“Hey, Vicky-T!” Gabe said, leaning against the doorframe. 

Victoria glanced up and smiled. “Hey, Gabey-Baby. Ready for lunch?” She asked.

Gabe noded. “Yup. I’ll get Ryland and and Nate, you get Suarez?” 

“Sure thing.” Victoria said sweetly. 

Gabe nodded and went back down the hall. He found Ryland and Nate in the break room, laughing at dumb youtube videos. “Hey, losers. It’s lunch time, wanna come?” 

Ryland and Nate glanced at each other, then back at Gabe. “Sure.” Nate agreed. “We going to the cafe?” 

“Yup.” Gabe said. “Vicky-T’s coming, and Suarez. Meet you down there?” They both nodded, so Gabe left them be.

He headed down in the elevator to the ground floor, knowing that the others would be joining him soon. He crossed the busy street to the little cafe he ate lunch at a few times a week. It had a pretty extensive menu and a wide variety of coffee, so he hardly ever tired of eating there. He was sat at a table large enough to accommodate everyone else when they arrived.

Vicky-T showed up first, Suarez close behind here. It took another ten minutes for Ryland and Nate to stumble in, but eventually they did. They all ordered their lunch and chatted amicably, thought Gabe was much quieter than he usually was. He thought of Bill, back at his apartment. He hoped Bill wasn't too bored. He had satellite TV with over 500 channels, a bookshelf of best selling novels, and a rack of DVD’s, but maybe Bill was the video game type? ‘I’ll have to see what interests him, so he isn’t bored while he’s staying with me.’ Gabe mused. 

“Gabe! Gabe!” Victoria called out, snapping her fingers in front of Gabe’s face. “Earth to Gabe, this is Victoria!” Gabe snapped out of his daze, and the others laughed. Gabe joined in, realizing how spaced out he was.

“Sorry.” He said, a bit bashfully. “Yesterday was an eventful day, and I’m still reeling a bit.” He admitted. 

Nate leaned forward. “What’s going on the the world of Gabriel Saporta?” He asked. 

After a moment to gather his thoughts, Gabe launched into the story, starting at yesterday morning and ending with Bill crashing on his couch. When he finished, Ryland gave a low whistle. 

“So you’ve got a homeless kid in your apartment right now?” Suarez asked, brow furrowed. “You aren’t worried he’s gonna rob you blind?”

Gabe shook his head. “He won’t.” He assured. “He’s just a kid down on his luck, that’s all. I was a lot like him when I was that age.”

“How old is he?” Victoria asked, and with the the look she gave him, he knew exactly what she was referring to. 

“He’s 20!” Gabe said defensively. “And it’s not like that!”

Victoria just raised an eyebrow and gave him a long look. “Okay, Just be careful.” She said.

Gabe sighed. “I will be.” He assured. He knew she wasn't just referring to not being robbed. 

“If this kid kills you, and your body turns up in the lake, can I have your stuff?” Ryland asked, stealing a fry off of Gabe’s plate.

“If the kid doesn’t take all his stuff and pawn it!” Suarez interjected. Gabe just rolled his eyes. 

Lunch with the gang continued on like that, each of them hedging bets on how long it would take to track down Bill after he ran off with all of Gabe’s stuff, and how long it would take for his body to surface if he was a serial killer. Vicky-T tried to keep them in line, but for the most part, she was unsuccessful. Gabe didn't mind though, he knew it was all in good fun.

After lunch, Gabe headed back up to his office to finish up what work he could. He answered a few emails, took a few phone calls, but mostly he just doodled on his notepad and gazed out the window, thinking of Bill. 

The bus ride home seemed to take twice a long as it usually did, Gabe’s leg bouncing as he sat in the back of the scarcely populated bus. Finally, the bus chugged to a stop at his usual corner, and he hopped off and headed towards the apartment building he called home. 

When he opened up the front door, he was bombarded with the smell of lemon pledge. He stepped inside hesitantly and kicked off his shoes before putting his briefcase in it’s usual spot by the table. “Bill?” Gabe called out, and he heard the sound of something metal being dropped onto tile and a mild curse before Bill appeared from the bathroom, long hair trying to escape a low ponytail and cartoonish yellow gloves on his hands. 

“Hi, Gabe!” Bill said, a bit breathless. “I, uh, wanted to find a way to say thank you, so with the money you gave me, I went to the corner store down the street and bought some cleaning supplies. I cleaned the whole place, top to bottom. You had some really bad dust bunnies in the cabinet under your bathroom si-” Bill’s speech was suddenly cut off, because Gabe was kissing him, his hands cupping Bill’s face as he held him in place and kissed him like he had been wanting to since the first time he laid eyes on him.

When Gabe pulled back a moment later, Bill just looked up at him with a dazed smile and wide eyes. “I’ll take that as a ‘thank you’.” Bill said softly, and Gabe just laughed.

“That wasn’t your thank you. Your thank you is the dinner I’m taking you to tonight. I hope you like steak.” Gabe said, dropping his hands to Bill’s hips. It didn't escape his notice that Bill hadn't bothered to try putting any space between them. 

Bill’s eyes went wide. “W-What?” He stuttered. “Gabe, you don’t have to-” 

Gabe cut him off. “I know I don’t have to. I want to. This place is cleaner than it’s been in years. I have to thank you somehow.”

“I cleaned the apartment as a way to say thanks because you’re letting me stay here, you can’t thank me for a thank you!” Bill argued. “We’ll end up in a never ending loop of doing nice things for each other, and I gotta tell you, it’s gonna be pretty one-sided, because I don’t have much to offer other than manual labor.” 

Gabe squeezed Bill’s hips and smirked. “Are you sure about that?”

Bill faltered, eyes darting down to Gabe’s lips. “Are you suggesting I have sex with you in exchange for staying here?” He said in a deadpan. 

“Yes.” Gabe said seriously. “I can be your sugar daddy. As long as you make me happy, you’ll have a place to stay and all the steak dinners you can eat.” 

After a moment more of staring, neither could keep a straight face anymore- they both cracked up, stepping apart and laughing. They eased up after a bit, and Gabe gave Bill a warm smile. “Go shower. I’ll have some clothes set out for you when you’re done. Luckily, you’re just my height.” 

Bill nodded and retreated back into the bathroom. Gabe watched him go until the bathroom door was shut and the lock clicked into place. Gabe huffed and shook his head, wondering how exactly he got himself into this ridiculous situation. He went in for a shoe shine and came out with a hot 20 year old who made him laugh harder than he had in years. Funny thing was, he was alright with it. 

He set a button down shirt and some slacks out for Bill, something that he knew would fit, and watched some TV while he waited. As he flipped through the channels, he remembered the conversation he and Pete had yesterday. ‘If you ever get tired of that personal assistant of yours, I could always use one.’ Gabe had said. Gabe glanced to the bathroom door and remembered what Pete had said. ‘Get your own, Saporta.’

Gabe grinned widely. You know, he just might. 

When Bill emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, Gabe was still smiling. “Your clothes are in my bedroom.” Gabe said. “Get dressed and comb your hair, we’re leaving in few minutes.”

“Don’t you need a reservation?” Bill asked, disappearing into Gabe’s bedroom.

Gabe snorted. “Me? No, I know a guy.” He answered. 

After a few minutes, Bill came into the living room, looking much like Gabe had that morning. “I haven’t worn anything this nice in years. I can’t do the buttons on the cuffs myself.” 

After a bit of a laugh, Gabe got up and helped Bill finish getting dressed. “My hair is a little too long for me to look professional.” Bill admitted, trying to smooth down his still-damp hair. 

“Whatever, you look great.” Gabe refuted. “Very professional.” 

Bill rolled his eyes. “I can’t understand how you wear these every day. I feel tied up in this thing.”

“Being tied up isn’t your thing? I’ll keep that in mind.” Gabe said smoothly. Bill rolled his eyes. 

Gabe checked his watch. “We should get going. What’s your shoe size?’ 

“10.” Bill told him, and Gabe grinned. 

“I think I’ve got a pair you can wear.” He said. Gabe got an old pair of loafers out from the back of his closet he once ordered on accident (Gabe’s an 11) and let Bill wear them. 

“Alright, let’s head out.” Gabe said. He led Bill out of the apartment and down to the garage.

Bill looked a bit excited. “Do we get to take your Porsche?” He asked.

Gabe smiled and nodded. “Sure do. The restaurant is on the edge of the city, but city driving never really bothered me much.” He said. “One day, I’ll take it out to the countryside and show you what it can really do.”

Bill’s smile matched Gabe’s. “If you say so.” He said with a laugh. 

Luckily for them, most of the 5 o’clock traffic had passed, and the drive to get out of the city wasn’t too bad. Gabe dug out his CD collection and put on a mixtape he had made years ago. “I remember this song!” Bill laughed, and Gabe was surprised to hear him sing along in a voice that left him wanting to hear more.

Gabe reached over and turned down the music. “You didn’t tell me you could sing.” Gabe said. 

Bill shrugged. “I was in a band or two when I was a teenager. I sang and played some guitar, but it was never anything serious.” 

“You must have had some shitty band-mates, because that voice alone could take you places.” Gabe told him.

“That’s not true!” Bill argued. “I had some great friends back in high school.” 

Gabe raised an eyebrow. “And where are they now?” He asked. 

For a moment, Bill was quiet. “Some of them moved away.” He confessed, his voice soft. “Mike and Sisky moved to New York, and I used to keep in touch with them after we all graduated. Michael and The Butcher, er, that is, Andy, are still in the city I think. I just haven’t kept in contact. I don’t think any of them know the situation I was in. I never told any of them I was kicked out my senior year. I was too embarrassed. I didn’t know what they would think if I told them…” He trails off. 

At a stoplight, Gabe glanced over, and found Bill with shoulders slumped, looking pitiful. “Hey, it’s okay.” Gabe told him, his voice gentle. “Things are gonna get better for you, I know it. If you want, I can help you reconnect with your friends. I know a few people in New York, and I’m sure I could find an excuse to bring you along for a business trip.” 

Bill perked up. “Really, Gabe?’ He asked, and Gabe nodded. “You’re the best. Thank you.” Bill said warmly, and once again Gabe was taken over by the overwhelming urge to kiss him. 

Their moment was cut short, however, when the light turned green and the car behind them honked. Gabe flashed Bill a winning smile and floored it, taking them out of the city.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did write an entire AU based on a throwaway line in a Cobra Starship song. New chapters every Friday (ish).


End file.
